According to officials, the working capacity of TP-III has been enhanced by 20 million gallon of sewerage water treatment per day (MGD) to 70 MGD of sewerage water.

Currently, untreated water of industries, commercial and residential areas of Karachi is being discharged into Arabian Sea, said Project Director Noor Muhammad

Due to influx of untreated water, around 30 kilometer seawater area has been contaminated, endangering marine life.

KWSB officials further said that Mauripur TP-III treatment plant second phase would likely become functional by end of June 2019.

The officials said that in remaining two phases, the plant would become fully operational by December 2019 with a capacity of 180 MGD. “Installation of equipment and allied machinery is underway by a private company,” they added.

The plant was set up in 1998 with financial assistance from World Bank but it remained dysfunctional due to poor maintenance.

Meanwhile, rehabilitation work of first phase of TP-I Haroonabad SITE is also being underway and after installation of machinery and allied equipment, the plant with capacity of 35 MGD will start function by end December 2018. The final phase will be completed by June 2019 and treatment capacity of plant will be enhanced to 100 MGD, officials revealed.

TP-I and TP-III will treat around 60 percent of city sewage water that includes industrial areas SITE, North Karachi, F B Area, besides Karachi west, central and east and sewage water of some parts of old city area.

According to sources, the total cost incurred on civil work, power generation plant and import of machinery for both projects came around Rs 11 billion.

Karachi Chief Secretary Major (r) Azam Suleman Khan had also visited both sites for seeking firsthand knowledge, besides the pace of ongoing work. He had also instructed officials to remove encroachments and other hurdles in surroundings of the two sites.

Officials of KWSB also added that work on TP-IV Korangi Creek project would start by December 2018. The treatment capacity of the plant would be 180 MGD.

Meanwhile, work on TP-II is still in doldrums due to encroachment on plant site, besides lethargy of KWSB officials.

It is pertinent to mention here that WC had instructed six cantonment boards and DHA to complete treatment plants by August 2019. In this regard, undertaking has also been submitted with WC by the civic entities, officials informed.

In connection of construction of treatment plant, Karachi Port Trust had already informed the commission that due to a dispute on ownership of 150 acres with Board of Revenue Sindh, work of treatment plant could not be started.

In addition, with the financial assistance of federal and Sindh government six combined effluent treatment plants in six industrial zones would be built with an estimated cost of Rs 11 billion.

Consultant has been appointed while land has also been acquired for the purpose and later international tendering process would take place.

Qamar Qureshi, an environmentalist and Pakistan Economic Forum president said that after completion of these projects, damage to mangroves and marine life would be discouraged.